Estate Planning for a Second Marriage

Anytime people are entereing into a second (or subsequent) marriage, I strongly recommend a prenup.

Many people think of a premarital agreement as only dealing with what happens in the event of a divorce. However, the most important reason for a premarital agreement is to determine how your estate will be distributed if one of you dies during the marriage, especially if your marriage becomes a long-term marriage (which, of course, is the intended goal of all marriages).

Even if you have already completed an estate plan of your own, a new marriage typically calls for significant changes to your plan.

Although both parties to a new marriage have the right to hire separate attorneys in connection with creation of a premarital agreement , many couples prefer to go through this process together, via mediation, in order to minimize the expense and avoid the adversarial nature of being represented by two separate attorneys. The advantages of having two separate attorneys is that both parties both receive completely independent, private, and confidential advice. By going through mediation in an effort to develop a written agreement and estate plan, you will be giving up these advantages. If you choose mediation, the purpose of the mediation will be to attempt to arrive, in a cooperative and informal manner, at a mutually acceptable agreement that resolves all financial and legal issues that may arise in connection with your upcoming marriage, your existing marriage, or your co-ownership of property.

Evan Farr is a trained mediator and is available to mediate premarital contracts with couples planning to enter into a second or subsequent marriage, with a goal of preparing the agreement and then doing the subsequent estate planning for the couple. To get started, please complete out Intake Form.

Testimonials

We hired Evan Farr to create our entire set of estate documents. I would work with him again and can recommend him without reservation.

M.R., Fairfax, VA

Evan Farr and his firm have been a godsend to my family. He was so easy to speak with about hard family topics.

Mary Keelin, Burke, VA

My pension was not enough to cover my wife's nursing home expenses. If it weren't for the Medicaid [that the Farr Firm helped me qualify for] I don't know what would have happened.

W.T., Springfield, VA

Thanks to your firm, we still have our home, a few dollars still in the bank, and most importantly, my wife is able to be in our home with the help that she needs.

Gary Rogers, Herndon, VA

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your hard work and faithfulness! But most of all thank you for DEFENDING the elderly patients who can't speak for themselves!

The Wooster Family

You really "wowed" me with the amount of homework you had done prior to our first meeting and with every explanation and thorough and gentle guidance that you made during the entire process.

Debbie Jones, Fairfax, VA

Evan Farr, is, in my view, one of Virginia's foremost authorities on the subject of elder law... Use his website - get educated - then call him!

Ben Glass, Personal Injury Lawyer, Fairfax, VA

First class counsel; very knowledgeable and knows his area. Likeable guy.

Robert S. Bullock, Esq., Owner, EDLC

Evan Farr is one of the foremost authorities in elder law in the State of Virginia. He has a true passion for his clients and solid competence. He is a solid choice for any individual or family seeking his services.

Thomas Begley, Estate Planning Attorney in Mt. Laurel, NJ

Evan is an extremely knowledgeable Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney. He is very approachable and down to earth.